Title: Intra-regional accessibility and take-up of grid extended electricity among rural households: case of Meru-South Sub-County in Kenya

Authors: Charity Kageni Mbaka; Philomena Muiruri; Kennedy Obiero; Masika Oscar Kisaka

Addresses: Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), P.O. Box 56445-00200, Nairobi, Kenya ' Geography Department, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 143844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya ' Geography Department, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 143844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya ' Department of Agroforestry and Rural Development, School of Natural and Environmental Resource Management, University of Kabianga, P.O. Box 2030-20200, Kericho, Kenya

Abstract: Electricity services are crucial for human well-being and to a country's socio-economic development. Lagging development has been attributed among others factors to lack of modern energy sources among rural households. At present, the Kenyan Government is committed to extending the grid to the rural areas. This article reviews emerging trends of grid-based rural electrification and empirically examines the short-term effects of electricity at household level. The result revealed minimal electricity take up by the rural households. Conversely, it is established that electricity coverage improved over years. There is a distinctive disparity in spatial distribution in adoption, non-adoption and access. Electricity take up has substantial benefits to households especially in improving the quality of life. However, electricity is minimally used for income generating services. The government should be committed to periodically and exclusively review the progress of rural electrification in each region to identify the setbacks which assist in policy review and reformulation.

Keywords: adoption; electricity; grid; benefits; rural households; rural electrification; non-adoption; accessibility; transformers; spatial; disparity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETP.2018.088261

International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy, 2018 Vol.14 No.1, pp.88 - 113

Received: 07 Oct 2015
Accepted: 15 Jun 2016
Published online: 01 Dec 2017 *

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